Why is it important to understand the concept of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs when approaching behavior change in a dental office?

What will be an ideal response?

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs explains that basic human needs must be addressed prior to addressing other motivators of human behavior such as love, esteem and self-actualization. These basic human needs include physiological needs such as having food, shelter, water, sleep, oxygen, and the ability for sexual expression, and safety needs such as avoiding harm, attaining security, order, and physical safety. The reason that this is important in a dental office is if the oral-health professional makes false assumptions about the patient's level of need, the patient may not be receptive to changing his or her behavior. For example, a patient who presents to the office with a toothache will likely not be receptive to making changes to oral-health habits while in pain, and it is only after the pain is relieved that behavior change may become the focus.